Chocolate Eggs Galore

  Here in France, it is not the Easter Bunny who brings Easter goodies, but "les cloches", or bells, which must be much more difficult to believe for French kids than a bunny.  The pastry shops all have huge displays of gaily decorated bells, chickens, lambs, ducks, and of course eggs made generally on the premises .  The better ones proudly announce theirs all made with a high percentage of pure cocoa butter.  The French are true chocolate aficionados, consuming vast amounts per capita.
             Good dark chocolates are made with 70 to 78 percent cocoa butter, with only a tad of sugar. Completely different from the mass marketed so called chocolates most Americans consume, which are heavily leaden with sugar and other additives. 
             The picture above shows pastry students at Ferrandi mastering chocolate making, as they too, will be expected to offer handmade seasonal chocolate candies.  Some go on to specialize in chocolate only, as this country honors artisanal chocolate makers as they do vintners , or fine chefs.